A 50-year-old woman has died after a tragic accident involving a lift.

Charity worker Christine Allen was crushed to death in a lift as her daughter and grandchildren looked on in horror. It is believed that Mrs Allen became trapped between the closing doors and while struggling to free herself she was struck on the head by the top of the doorway as the lift continued to go up.

Emergency services were called to the accident at Lambourne Court in Woodford, east London, but they could not save Mrs Allen as she has suffered major head injuries. London Fire Brigade said crews discovered the woman trapped between a lift car and the outer door. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her daughter Laura Dawkins age 26, said she had repeatedly warned the local council about the faulty elevator but was told that they had no funding to correct the problem.

She said: “I told the council many times that the lift was broken. It’s been out of order for about four months and all I got from the council is that they haven’t got the funding. My mum was visiting me and I was there when it happened. She was a lovely, bubbly person, always thinking of others before herself.”

Mrs Allen’s friend Robert Russell was also at the scene of the accident. He described how he tried to feel for her pulse after the accident occurred when the lift doors opened on the eighth floor, but the lift was not level with the floor. He said: “Christine jumped in and the lift carried on moving up. I shouted at her to get out. She then scrambled to escape but was struck on the head. Her hands were dangling out and I just held them. I tried to feel for a pulse but to be honest I think it was death on impact.”

The Health and Safety Executive were informed of the accident and have begun an investigation. A spokesman confirmed they were investigating the death, but are not treating it as suspicious. They said: “An inspector has visited the site today and we have a joint investigation with the Metropolitan Police.”